


「The moon is beautiful tonight」

by great_ben_810



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 06:22:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16948674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/great_ben_810/pseuds/great_ben_810
Summary: Summary: A parallel story to 「I want to be your…」





	「The moon is beautiful tonight」

“Diana, are you writing a letter home?”

Just moments ago, Akko had been taking supplementary lessons with Professor Ursula until it was interrupted by Professor Finnelan who urgently asked for the young professor to attend a faculty meeting. However, upon seeing Akko in the room, Professor Finnelan let out a relieved sigh and asked if she could deliver a document to Diana in her place.

To this, Akko simply agreed and parted ways with the professors before heading towards the Blue Team’s suite room and found herself in front of the familiar wooden door. She would have barged in, but remembering that the Blue Team prefers to be notified about visitors, Akko gave a cheery knock, which was surprisingly answered by Barbara who was about to leave the room.

Without further questioning, Barbara lets Akko inside and tells her that Diana was at her desk before exiting.

A quick look around shows that Hannah is absent as well, giving Akko the silly idea of trying to sneak up on Diana, which brings us to now where she found Diana writing with a fancy letterset.

Despite being snuck up on, Diana nonchalantly replies to Akko’s earlier question.

“No, it’s to a potential suitor.”

“Oh, that’s cool.”

It would take another couple seconds for Akko to completely understand and process what Diana had said for her to shout an alarmed,

## “ **What!?** ”

+++

Diana Cavendish lives in a different world from Kagari Atsuko.

This is something that Akko was painfully made to realize when she invited herself into the Cavendish Manor.

The castle that Diana lives in, the glass chandeliers, the red carpets, the heirlooms decorating the halls, the canopy bed, the medium-rare steak for dinner…

It was clear that Diana had a different upbringing from Akko’s, which was confirmed by Daryl and her daughters.

_“Are you really her friend? I can’t say that I’ve heard a witch family with your surname.”_

_“She does look like a rather pathetic excuse for a witch.”_

Akko was used to hearing these insults about her and her ability as a witch. Although these doubts had initially bothered her, she had learned to ignore what others thought.

All she had to do was believe in herself and work hard to prove them that she was a witch when the time comes.

Akko is Akko, and other people are other people.

There was no reason for Akko to compare herself to others. If she did, she saw others as rivals—a goal to strive for and to beat.

To Kagari Atsuko, Diana Cavendish was her rival, yet…

_“Are you a fan of Diana?”_

_“You came here to win favor with the Cavendishes, didn’t you?”_

A fan. Someone who puts an idol on top of a pedestal.

To win favor. Something the vulnerable do to gain promise of protection from the strong.

Both involve a superior-inferior hierarchy, but neither describe the dynamics of rivalry.

Although she respects Diana, Akko doesn’t want to admire her from afar.

She doesn’t want to win favors either.

But this is all Akko’s selfishness.

Even if she’s thinking and acting with Diana in mind, what if her impulsive actions are actually burdening Diana even more?

Diana had already stated that she’s never seen Akko as her rival, so what if she sees Akko as someone below her?

It wouldn’t be weird to think that way since Akko can’t even use magic. If it weren’t for Shooting Star, she wouldn’t have placed second in the Broom Relay. She would have placed  _last_.

A rival who can’t fly.

Did Akko have the right—the privilege—to declare herself and Diana as rivals?  

_“She’s an upstanding, young witch!”_

While Akko couldn’t defend herself from the hostility, Diana had stood up for her—recognized and accepted her.

A witch.

It may not have been the first time Diana thought that, but it was the first time she had ever said that out loud.

And for Akko, hearing that from her rival?

She could have flied to the moon.

She came close to it months later when she and Diana had watched in awe from outer space as the Shiny Rod played amongst the stars, returning to the night sky.

+++

With the revival of magic, Akko had kept her promise and worked hard on her magic.

Now, no one could deny her ability as a witch, but Akko was far from satisfied.

After all, her rival was also improving with each passing day.

But, maybe she should stop calling Diana as her “rival” because Akko no longer wants to compete with her.

Instead, she wants to support her. She wants Diana to trust and rely on her just like she does on Diana.

As Diana’s familial burden increases, Akko found herself wanting to shoulder some of that burden as well.

And in order to do so, Kagari Atsuko will have to become a witch that no one would question for standing next to a Cavendish.

She’ll have to work her way into the same world as Diana Cavendish.

To be by her side, upstanding.

Until then, this feeling of hers will have no name.

+++

“Um, are you going to marry this person?”

Diana was unfortunately rewriting her letter since Akko’s sudden shouting had caused her to jolt a black line across the nearly finished letter. She momentarily took her eyes off the paper to place them on Akko whose eyes had found the carpet to be interesting.   

 “No. There is no need.”

Akko glances towards the desk only to find the carpet captivating again.

“You’re writing an awful lot for a rejection.”

“Would you like to read for yourself?”

As if to challenge her, Diana slides the letter towards Akko who gladly accepted.

Leaning next to Diana, Akko’s eyes stumble across line after line until she reached the end and turned her eyes to Diana.

Seemingly oblivious to the small distance between them, Akko cheerfully grins with an observation she made.

“Your handwriting looks like eels swimming!”

This flash of surprise, anger, embarrassment Diana felt right after Akko finished speaking would be her second time—the first being Akko getting the fairies to chant, “Bourgeoise” at Diana on that one cold day.

“It’s called cursive!”

With a flushed face, Diana harrumphed back to finishing the letter while Akko straightened her back next to her.  

All Diana had to do was sign it with her name and then seal it with wax when Akko interrupted her again.

“Diana, have you ever gone out with someone?”

Finishing her signature, Diana answers with a quick ‘no’ and takes out her wax seal stamp—a unicorn flanked by two trees entwined by snakes and a full moon with Venus nearby at the top center.

“Do you think we could fly to the moon?”

A sudden change in topic, but Diana was used to this and replies as she takes her wand to warm a piece of wax in a melting spoon.

“I don’t see why not. If we can go to outer space, then we could probably fly to the moon.”

“Then, I’m going to fly to the moon for my first show!”

“Don’t you think you’re being too ambitious?”

“I’ll learn how to cast ‘Metamorphie Vestesse’ and fly all the way to the moon.”

“How would the audience see you?”

“Constanze’s Stanbots. And once I return to earth, I’ll fly you to the moon!”

“…I’ll be looking forward to it then.”

With the wax melted, Diana was ready seal the envelope when she noticed stars in Akko’s eyes.

“Would you like to seal it?”

“Just the stamping!”

Handing the stamp to Akko, Diana pours the melted blue wax on the seam of the envelope while Akko pushes the Cavendish stamp, sending her thoughts in the hardening wax.

_Sorry, Mister._

_I can’t and won’t let you have Diana because…_

_I want to be her first and last._

Happy with the result, Akko returns the stamp and walks over to the window overlooking the terrace.

“Diana, could you wait for me? Because the moon will be beautiful.”

Diana stares at Akko’s back, waiting for her to explain but Akko has no intention of continuing.

“What do you mean, Akko? The moon has always been beautiful.”

Akko turns around and smiles.

“Just wait for me. The moon is beautiful tonight.”

This only confused Diana even more since it was still bright outside. Too curious about Akko’s confession,

Diana could have died.

**Author's Note:**

> In translating an English book to Japanese, the line “I love you” was initially directly translated to 愛す. An expert saw this and said that Japanese don’t use such direct expressions, so it was changed to 月がきれいですね (the moon is beautiful).
> 
> In translating a Russian book to Japanese, a heroine replies, “I’m yours” after she is confessed. Instead of a direct translation, it was translated as 死んでもいいわ (I could die).
> 
> So, these became a romantic way of confessing.
> 
> The moon is beautiful tonight (I love you)
> 
> I could die (I’m yours / I love you)


End file.
